Dancing With Danger Read online

  “Don’t go telling her that shit right now. It’s all fucking town lore anyway.”

  I grimaced. Great, I’d been staying in Spearfish’s very own house of horrors all this time and didn’t even know it. What if there were ghosts? As if the thought conjured the sound, a feminine shriek bit through the hall and echoed back to us from somewhere just ahead.

  “They just took her gag off, and she’s trying to make noise, is all. I promise, no one is questioning her yet.” Rage’s words were also a comforting rumble coming through his body and seeping straight into mine.

  “I believe you,” I told him. “I saw the fear in her eyes before she was yanked out of the van.”

  “Did it bother you?” He asked.

  “No. She planned to kill me. Hell, she’s been plotting my death for a long time. She was jealous. She mentioned my mother being alive, and trying to kidnap me when I was younger.” A strange look passed between Rage and Rabbit when I admitted to hearing that much.

  “That’s good to know,” Rage stated.

  “Sure as fuck is. No one was aware that your mom was alive.” Rabbit turned and pulled his cell out of his pocket. “I’ve gotta bring Shameless in on this since he knew Luanne personally.”

  “Maybe get Ghost the fuck up here sooner rather than later too, yeah? I get that he has a new grandbaby, but this is club business that can’t wait any longer.”

  “I’ll make sure he’s updated and travel arrangements are made.”

  The radiology room in the basement of the clubhouse seriously made me think we’d taken a special cabinet trip to a hospital Narnia world. I was completely blown away that something like this had existed right beneath my feet when I’d been working the bar upstairs this whole time. It also made me curious to see the rest of the facility, but I wasn’t sure the guys would ever allow that. They did seem to enjoy their secrets.

  ~*~

  Nothing was broken, thankfully. It felt like they were trying to rip my damn arm off when Doc did something with weight, tension, and general medical fuckery to pop my shoulder back into place where it should be. The minute he did though, the relief that coursed through my body was like sweet surrender, even if only temporarily. Having the pain disperse from my shoulder just made me suddenly more aware of what was going on everywhere else in my body. Like my left knee that hurt like a bitch, and was bruised and swollen, but otherwise okay. Then there was my face. I’d hit the top of the van at just the right spot to end up with a nasty gash damn near from the middle of my face at my hairline all the way over to my temple. Doc stitched me up, and I’ll be honest, I refused to look in the mirror afterward. I did not even want to know what kind of Frankenstein look I was rocking right now.

  Yes, I was aware that my looks were the least of my worries, but even on my yoga pants, flip-flops, and baggy t-shirt kind of days I still wanted to look more like a woman and less like a monster. Once I was done being put back together Rage managed to get me up to the room we’d been sharing in the clubhouse. He had moved into the one they’d put me in, because I refused to move into the room where he’d been fucking God knew how many women before I got there. I wasn’t all crazy-crystal lady or anything, but I felt like that kind of energy left a vibe behind. It was an invisible taint on the air. I knew that others had used my room, but that was fine, because I wasn’t with them. I was with Rage, and just like I’d wanted to give him a clean slate with me no longer being married. I needed him to give me a clean slate. Especially when I remembered that day Jezzie had come prowling out of his room.

  By the time we made it to the room I was completely wiped out. Either that or the pain meds doc had given me were finally kicking in. Actually, it was probably a combination of both. Whatever the case, Rage tucked me in, made sure there were pillows propping up my injured side so I didn’t accidentally attempt to roll that way in my sleep, and the last thing I remembered was his kissing me on the forehead before the lights went out on me.

  ~*~

  When I awoke it was to yelling, causing me to fly up too quickly from the bed. The movement jerked at pretty much every wound on my body. Ouch was an understatement. The drugs had officially worn off.

  “I say the cunt doesn’t get to see her!” Rage yelled. “What the fuck was he thinking bringing her here anyway?”

  “He was thinking with his head. We aren’t getting answers from the girl. Chances are we can pull the heartstrings of the woman a whole hell of a lot easier, but we need your woman in order to do that.” Spinner. That voice was definitely Spinner.

  “The fuck you do!” Rage roared again. “You see what happened to her after the last time we needed her to lure someone, or something out?”

  “How about giving Charlie the choice. It’s not like we’ll force her, asshole. I just want to…”

  “You want to ask because you know she won’t say no. Don’t bullshit me.”

  I tossed the door open, wincing as I did so, because hello pain – my new friend. “I hate to interrupt your dick measuring competition you guys have going on out here, but can someone get Doc for me?” Rabbit was apparently on standby in the hallway and busted a gut laughing at me.

  “Texting him. He’s just downstairs, so it won’t take but a minute.” Rabbit managed to answer as his fingers flew across the phone keys while his shoulders continued to shake with laughter.

  “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Rage asked, voice thick with concern.

  “Pain meds wore off, everything hurts, and you guys screaming outside the door startled me awake, which didn’t feel too damn good,” I complained. “So, who wins?” They all looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “You assholes are out here comparing sizes and getting me out of bed when I feel like I could vomit out this pain at any moment, I at least get to know who has the bigger…”

  “Oh sweetheart, it’s me with the biggest cock. I didn’t enter the competition though, because you know, didn’t wanna shame these fuckers.” Rabbit laughed out his answer.

  “Shut the fuck up Rabbit!” His brother spat out.

  “Darlin’ you better not be worrying about the size of any other man’s cock,” Rage grumbled.

  “Then keep it down out here!” I huffed out at them. Relief flooded my eyes as I saw Doc coming down the hall carrying his magic bag.

  “Sorry, Charlie. I was actually on my way to see you when I got sidetracked by the company who came through the door.”

  “About that,” Spinner started.

  “I will beat you to within an inch of your life, Spinner!” Rage roared out.

  I put my good hand out to touch Rage’s heaving chest. “Stop.” Then I directed my attention to Spinner. “What the hell have you done to rile him up?”

  “Ghost brought your mom with him. He,” Rabbit pointed at his brother, “wants you to go talk to her in the hopes of getting more information since your sister won’t talk.” He pointed to Rage then. “He doesn’t think you’re up for it, and refused to ask you.”

  I rolled my eyes, because both men were now glaring at Rabbit who was actually getting things done with his forthrightness. “Okay,” I started before turning my attention back to Doc. “Can you give me something a bit more mild that won’t land me in a drug-induced coma? I just need to take the edge off the bite this shit is taking out of my ass right now.”

  “I’ll bite your ass!” Rabbit joked.

  Rage growled.

  Rabbit laughed.

  I couldn’t help it when I started chuckling too. Of course, karma is a bitch and my chuckling actually ended up causing me to wince in pain. “Damn it. That hurt. Why does everything I do have to hurt?” Yep, I was whining. Nope, I didn’t care what any of the big, burly bikers thought about it. Doc handed me a couple pills, a coke, and told me to go ahead and take them now before I got distracted again. “I did mention I wasn’t too keen on being put in a coma again, right?” I asked as I eyeballed the three pills he placed in my hand.

  “One is an antibiotic. One is an anti-inflammatory, a
nd the other is a low-dose pain pill. I’ll be able to stack a different type on top of it in a bit if that one doesn’t work well enough for you.” Doc explained as I gulped my chemical cocktail down. “Great, now let’s go get some food in you while everyone fills you in on what’s happened so far and what needs to happen in the near future. You’re going to want the food so none of that shit I just gave you upsets your empty stomach.”

  “Yeah, because I’m pretty sure puking would feel less fantastic than normal right now.”

  “Exactly. I think Boxer’s old lady, Tamara, has something made for you downstairs.”

  “I hope it’s ice cream,” I told them as we walked. Well, they walked. I shuffled along until Rage stopped and gingerly picked me up into his arms. I wasn’t even going to complain, because those meds hadn’t kicked in and I just felt like giving up and going back to the soft, fluffy warm cloud of a bed I had been in before everyone’s drama woke me.

  Rabbit was still giggling over my ice cream comment. “At least she knows what she wants.”

  Rage settled me at one of the tables near the bar that had a comfier looking chair than some of the others. I ate some homemade chicken noodle soup that was to die for. Seriously, Boxer’s woman could cook her ass off. I also wolfed down a grilled cheese sandwich and sat there staring at the guys waiting for whatever was supposed to come next.

  That was about the time Iceman walked up with a gorgeous older man on his heels. The man had to be at least a couple inches over six feet tall. His sandy colored hair hung loosely around his shoulders and his eyes were a stunning turquoise color that should have held a feminine beauty to them, but instead maintained a fierceness that both captivated and intimidated on sight.

  “Charlie,” Iceman tipped his head toward me. “Good to see you up and about. Sorry things went down the way they did last night, but damn glad we didn’t lose you in the process.”

  “Me too,” I hissed out as I tried moving around to get comfortable in the chair.

  “I’d like to introduce you to Ghost, he’s the Aces High National Prez, but also the President of the Cedar Falls crew your dad used to belong to.”

  That definitely got more of my attention. “So you knew my dad?”

  “I did,” his deep baritone seemed to reverberate through the room. “Knew your mom too, and much to my surprise, she was waiting for me on my doorstep this morning before I left to come here.”

  My eyes snapped around to the people who had been sitting with me. Rabbit, Spinner, Rage, and a guy named Flyboy who I had never met before. Then I glanced back up at Ghost. “I thought I’d heard wrong a bit ago when Rabbit mentioned my mom. The pain was doing funny things to my head, so I didn’t question it. You really brought her here?”

  “I did. Not sure why she showed up on my doorstep begging me to take me to you, but that’s how things went down this morning, and I never look a gift horse in the mouth. She’s locked up downstairs in the room across from your sister.” Ghost came closer and knelt in front of me so I wasn’t straining my neck to look up at him. “I know this is probably going to be extremely difficult on you, Charlie, but we could really use your help.”

  I simply nodded. “What exactly do you need from me? I don’t know if you’re aware, but I thought my mom died in the hospital after a car accident when I was five, along with a baby that was supposed to be my brother, and apparently wasn’t.”

  “Nah, I was there when the baby was lost, girl. It was definitely a boy. Not sure how the other girl comes into play, but that’s part of what we’d like you to find out for us. I have a suspicion about your mom at this point, and if I’m right, she’s been playing with our family a lot longer than any of us suspected.”

  “You think she was a traitor to your club?” I asked. “I mean, it’s pretty obvious that she became one when she cheated on my dad, but…”

  “She wasn’t cheating on your dad, girl. If I’m right, she was sent to be with your dad by her real old man.”

  My nose twitched up in pure disgust then. “What are you saying, exactly?”

  “I think she was with The Tribe the whole time, feeding them intel she would either overhear or garner from your dad somehow.”

  “But she was with him so long. They were together for a year before me, and then until I was five!” My shock was causing my voice to squeak with the built up emotion. You’re saying all that time was just a game to her?”

  Ghost nodded. I felt sick to my stomach, which wasn’t good considering I’d just filled the damn thing. “Do I have to talk to her? I’m not sure I can be anything but hostile after hearing all this. I’m sorry, I just… I loved my dad. I miss him every single day, and to find out that such a huge part of his life was a lie.” My words were a whispered hush by then. “My heart is breaking for him, and he isn’t even here to hear this.”

  “I think your dad knew. It’s why he went mostly inactive and turned nomad. He thought he’d hurt the club, and he didn’t want you anywhere near this world. I think he was mostly trying to protect you from the truth, and from her. He told me a few years ago about a kidnapping attempt that had been made on you by a Tribe member. He killed the man, and took his kutte, but never got any answers as to whether the man just wanted to kill you for revenge or to take you.”

  “Sheri Lynn talked about a kidnapping attempt that hadn’t gone well yesterday when they were trying to get me out of the van, before I shot her little buddy,” I confirmed.

  Ghost nodded again. “We need as much information from Luanne as we can get so that we can take The Tribe out once and for all. Sheri Lynn hasn’t been very cooperative, and judging from all the scars that girl is sporting, I don’t think anything we can do to her will make her talk.”

  I winced then wondering what kind of life my sister had. I wondered what would have happened to me if that kidnapping attempt had been successful. Jesus. What a fucking mess. “My family is completely dysfunctional, huh?”

  “Nah, girl. The family that counts will always have your back and your best interest at heart. Don’t ever doubt that. I owe Marcus Kinkaid a life debt. That transferred to you the moment you were born,” Ghost explained. I’m sure it was a story for another day, but today there were more pressing matters to address.

  “Where is she?” I finally asked just as Doc walked up with a wheelchair in front of him.

  He smiled really big. “I figured we’d give Rage’s hulking muscles a break. This sweet ride was hanging out in one of the rooms downstairs. Your chariot awaits.”

  “I’d like to be stubborn and refuse, but my knee hurts like a bitch today, so I’ll accept this sweet ride for now. To the dungeon, James!” I announced with my finger in the air, like the big ass dork I was.

  Rabbit laughed, of course. He and I were on the same wavelength when it came to humor. We were really eight year olds trapped in adult bodies. Rage just shook his head, but he couldn’t hide the fact that his dimples were popping out on his cheeks as he tried to bite back a grin.

  Chapter 17

  Hello mother!’ The thought rumbled around in my head as I was wheeled downstairs in my mobile chariot on the way to see the woman who had given birth to me, taken care of me for the first few years of my life, and not much else. What the hell was I supposed to say to her? How was I supposed to feel about this situation? I had no clue, because all I felt was numb. Oh, and there was a huge side helping of ‘I wish I didn’t have to do this’ rolling around in my noggin too.

  A door was opened to reveal another sterile white-walled room. An older lady was strapped down to one of those exam tables, complete with stirrups for your feet when a woman gets her annual exam. A shiver ran through me as I, once again, let my mind wander to what the hell this place had been before the guys took over the building. There were two other, normal, chairs in the room. Not that I needed one since I had my own seat on wheels with me. I glanced at the woman again, starting at her feet that were strapped to the stirrups, then up to her waist that was likewise tied d
own, and finally to a face that looked far too much like my own for me to be comfortable with.

  I cringed as I took in the fact that we had the same hair color, at least in the parts that weren’t starting to grey on her head. Her eyes were much the same as mine, only they seemed to have lost something. They were dimmer, the color drowned out as if the life she lived had seeped something from the hue of her eyes themselves. “It’s you!” The woman cried out. She couldn’t do more than attempt to pick her head up to get a better look at me. “Oh my God, I’ve waited so long to see you again, sweet pea.”

  That nickname triggered a memory. I remembered a warm, loving woman with her arms wrapped around me telling me, “sleep tight sweet pea, when you wake things will be different.” It was the last memory I had of my mom before her accident.

  “Let’s get something straight, right now.” I announced in a no-nonsense way. “You will not blather on with endearments of any type to me. If you must address me at all, you will call me Charlie, and only that. You are not to call me your daughter, sweet pea, or any other name that makes it seem like I mean something to you, because I don’t.”

  “Oh, but you do,” she rushed to say. “I’ve been trying to get to you for all these years, bab-” I started rolling away towards the door when she got ready to call me something other than my name. “Sorry. Sorry. I meant, Charlie. Sorry, it’s hard for me. You have to understand I never stopped loving you or wanting you with me, but your father hid you away from me.”

  “And that came as a shock to you? You live with a monster, and your other daughter was turned into one. Do I even have more siblings out there trying to kill me too, or was she the only one?”

  “Oh, no. I promise, Sheri Lynn wasn’t trying to kill you. She was just trying to find you for me so we could all be a family.”

  I laughed. “You are delusional. She literally said she was trying to kill me last night, and that’s if her dad didn’t get his way. He has a buyer ready to sell me to.” I could tell from the way her features broke that she knew about that. “You knew though, didn’t you?”